Russian President Vladimir Putin’s former chief economic adviser recently suggested the war between Ukraine and Russia could come to an end — but Russia would be hit hardest.
Andrei Illarionov, Putin’s former chief economic adviser, told BBC News this week that Russia would stop its invasion of Ukraine “within a month or two” if the West created a total embargo of Russian oil and gas.
- Illarionov said Putin probably feels assured by the continued energy export revenue, which has helped fund the war.
- But if the West slapped “a real embargo on oil and gas exports from Russia,” then “within a month or two, Russian military operations in Ukraine probably will be ceased,” he said, according to Business Insider.
- ”It’s one of the very effective instruments still in the possession of the Western countries,” he said.
There has been increased pressure for the West to impose hard sanctions on Russia due to the recent atrocities in areas around Kyiv, including the recent Bucha killings, per Politico.
- Officials in Kyiv had criticized the West for funding Putin’s war since Western nations are still buying Russia's energy, according to Politico.
Russia has continued to shift its attack on Ukraine. According to NPR, Russia may soon shift its battle forces to eastern Ukraine.